Clinical Key Question

CLINICAL KEY QUESTION

How are mental health issues portrayed in the media?

The way that mental health issues are presented in the media greatly influence and educate the public.

Signorelli - 72% of characters with mental illnesses were shown to be violent on prime time TV.

Other studies found tv programmes showed mental health patients to be unemployable or failing at work.

New Zealand Study - thematic analysis - found common themes to be aggression, danger, unpredictability and childlike behaviour. Portrayed as outstandingly negative.

This is all very harmful to sufferers, may lead them to believe they will fail in work, that they are dangerous and abnormal. Will also affect the way people treat people with mental illness - may alienate them or be scared of them because of inaccurate representation.

May stop people getting help…